Rotating shin guard

ABSTRACT

A rotating shin guard can be placed on a weight bar to provide a cushion between the person exercising and the metal bar. The shin guard includes a hook and loop closure system that allows the pad to rotate freely around the bar during a deadlift exercise and does not allow the shin guard to slip off the bar. The design of the shin guard provides a comfortable feeling on the shins, knees and quads, without injury to them, while helping achieve proper form that will protect the back from injury. The shin guard can be made of a material, such as a foam rubber material, which is strong enough to take a continuous rotation around a metal bar and soft enough to cushion the shins.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/512,118, filed Jul. 27, 2011, and U.S. provisional application No. 61/514,373, filed Aug. 2, 2011, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shin guards and, more particularly, to a rotating shin guard that protects the legs during a deadlift exercise.

The deadlift exercise is performed to give the person performing the exercise a stronger, more muscular back. In order to perform the deadlift exercise properly, one must grind up against the shins, knees and quads. This causes pain, discomfort, scratching and bleeding. To avoid this pain, people wear long socks and pants to try and minimize the discomfort, scratches and bleeding, but it still occurs. To completely avoid the pain, people often perform the exercise incorrectly by keeping the bar away from their legs. This can cause serious back injuries, especially when using heavier weights.

Conventional shin protectors only protect the shins and are placed onto the user and are made for other sports and only protect the shins, not the knees or quads. The other devices used are designed for squats, allowing the bar pad to either slip off or get caught. This does not allow for a smooth flow during the exercise.

Other devices that are typically used to protect the neck during squats have an outside closure system, which allows the pad to get stuck and come off the bar, not allowing it to freely rotate around the bar. Other products used to protect the users hand are made to hug the bar and stick to the bar and are typically left open for easy removal These products, which are not made for deadlifting, can cause burning and irritation on the shins and can fall off during a deadlift.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved guard that can protect the shins, knees and quads during deadlift exercises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, an exercise accessory comprises a soft, flexible core material; an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; and a fastener adapted to hold the exercise accessory together in a looped configuration, wherein the looped configuration is operable to fit loosely around a weight bar and allows free rotation of the exercise accessory around the weight bar.

In another aspect of the present invention, a shin guard protector for protecting a user's shins during deadlift exercises comprises a soft, flexible core material; an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; trim disposed about an outer periphery of the soft flexible core material and the outer fabric cover; and a hook and loop fastener material adapted to hold the shin guard protector together in a looped configuration about a weight bar, wherein the looped configuration is operable to fit loosely around the weight bar to allow free rotation of the shin guard protector around the weight bar.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a method for protecting a user from contact with a weight bar during exercise comprises wrapping a shin protector about the weight bar, the shin protector including a soft, flexible core material, an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; and a fastener adapted to hold the shin protector loosely about the weight bar, allowing free rotation of the shin protector; and performing an exercise where the weight bar is lifted and passed along a body part of the user and the shin protector rotates as the weight bar moves along the body part.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a user starting a deadlift exercise using a rotating shin guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the user of FIG. 1, completing the deadlift exercise using the rotating shin guard;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the shin guard of FIG. 1, laid out in a flat position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shin guard of FIG. 1 in a flat position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the shin guard of FIG. 1 being applied to a weight bar;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the shin guard of FIG. 1 being wrapped around the weight bar;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the shin guard of FIG. 1 sealed around the weight bar; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a rotating shin guard that can be placed on a weight bar to provide a cushion between the person exercising and the metal bar. The shin guard includes a hook and loop closure system that allows the pad to rotate freely around the bar during a deadlift exercise and does not allow the shin guard to slip off the bar. The design of the shin guard provides a comfortable feeling on the shins, knees and quads, without injury to them, while helping achieve proper form that will protect the back from injury. The shin guard can be made of a material, such as a foam rubber material, which is strong enough to take a continuous rotation around a metal bar and soft enough to cushion the shins.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9, a user 10 can use a shin guard 16 wrapped around a weight bar 14, as described in greater detail below. The shin guard 16 can protect the user's shins 12, knees and quads when performing deadlift exercises.

The shin guard 16 can be made of a soft flexible material, such as foam rubber 24. The foam rubber 24 can have a thickness from about ⅛ inch to about ¾ inch, although other thicknesses may be designed within the scope of the present invention. The foam rubber 24 can provide a cushion for the user and other materials may be used for the soft flexible material within the scope of the present invention.

The shin guard 16 can be from about 14 to about 30 inches long, typically from about 16 to about 26 inches long, and from about 5 to about 10 inches wide. The width of the shin guard 16 can be designed so that it can wrap around the weight bar 14 sufficiently loose to allow the shin guard 16 to rotate as the weight bar 14 is raised and passed along the user's shin 12, for example. In some embodiments, the shin guard 16 can be about 5 inches long, allowing it to be used with specialty weight bars that are formed differently and only have a five-inch space that come in contact with the users shins.

The shin guard 16 can include an outer fabric material 22 that covers the foam rubber layer 24. The outer fabric material 22 can be various materials that can provide a soft feel to the user and provide a smooth rotation against the metal surface on the inside. In some embodiments, the outer fabric material 22 can be removable from the foam rubber layer 24 to permit cleaning thereof, for example. Both sides can be made of the same or different materials or fabrics. For example, the inside can have a hard plastic to allow for a smoother rotation.

A trim 20 can be provided around the outer perimeter of the shin guard 16. The trim 20 can give the shin guard 16 a clean look while protecting the outside edges of the foam rubber layer 24 and the outer fabric material 22.

A first side of the shin guard 16 can include a hook and loop fastener material 18 disposed along a first long edge thereof. A second, opposite side of the shin guard 16 can include a mating hook and loop fastener 18 disposed along a second long edge thereof. This configuration allows the hook and loop fastener material 18 on both the first and second sides of the shin guard 16 to meet, securing the shin guard 16 on the weight bar 14, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. While the hook and loop fastener material 18 is ideally suited for use to secure the shin guard 16 to the weight bar 14, other fasteners, such as snaps, buttons, or the like, could be used within the scope of the present invention.

The person using the shin guard 16 would open it up along the hook and loop enclosure (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and then place the shin guard onto the weight lifting bar 14 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The user can then secure the hook and loop enclosure to provide the shin guard 16 in a loose fitting configuration (allowing the shin guard 16 to rotate about the weight bar 14) about the weight bar 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 8).

The shin guard, placed on the weight bar, would be placed along the shins and the user could perform deadlift exercises, bringing the bar up, grinding along the shins, knees and up to the quads. They would then bring the bar and shin guard back down, passing over the quads, knees and then the shins. This motion can be repeated until the desired amount of repetitions is reached.

While the above description entails using the shin guard for deadlift exercises, other uses are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. For example, the device can be used for neck protection during a squat exercise movement. It can also be used to cushion the clavicle and shoulders during a front squat exercise. Other devices can be bulky and can cause balance issues when using heavy weights. The device of the present invention offers a soft, comfortable feel to the bar without compromising balance of the bar to the user. The device can also be used as a bar pad for other exercises that require the weight bar in which the user does not want to be scratched or nicked. The device can also be used around a bar used to perform a pull-up exercise, as it would cushion the bar for the user's hands, providing a softer grip. In some embodiments, the device can be used laid out flat as a knee pad during abdominal exercises or elbow pad during planks, for example.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

1. An exercise accessory comprising: a soft, flexible core material; an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; and a fastener adapted to hold the exercise accessory together in a looped configuration, wherein the looped configuration is operable to fit loosely around a weight bar and allows free rotation of the exercise accessory around the weight bar.
 2. The exercise accessory of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a hook and loop fastener material disposed on opposite sides and opposite ends of the weight bar.
 3. The exercise accessory of claim 1, further comprising trim disposed about an outer periphery of the soft flexible core material and the outer fabric cover.
 4. The exercise accessory of claim 1, wherein the soft, flexible core material is foam rubber.
 5. A shin guard protector for protecting a user's shins during deadlift exercises, comprising: a soft, flexible core material; an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; trim disposed about an outer periphery of the soft flexible core material and the outer fabric cover; and a hook and loop fastener material adapted to hold the shin guard protector together in a looped configuration about a weight bar, wherein the looped configuration is operable to fit loosely around the weight bar to allow free rotation of the shin guard protector around the weight bar.
 6. The shin guard of claim 5, wherein the soft, flexible core material is foam rubber.
 7. A method for protecting a user from contact with a weight bar during exercise, the method comprising: wrapping a shin protector about the weight bar, the shin protector including a soft, flexible core material, an outer fabric cover covering the soft, flexible core material; and a fastener adapted to hold the shin protector loosely about the weight bar, allowing free rotation of the shin protector; and performing an exercise where the weight bar is lifted and passed along a body part of the user and the shin protector rotates as the weight bar moves along the body part.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the exercise is a deadlift exercise.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the fastener is a hook and loop fastener disposed on opposite sides and opposite ends of the shin protector.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the body part includes the user's shins, knees and quads. 